Plus, there’s the deal I made with MJ when she learned Lana was an undercover cop—if she kept her cover, Lana would never bust Big Mama. Lana doesn’t know about this arrangement, but I always figured as long as Lana was holding out for the big fry, I could delay having that conversation. But I often imagine the day Lana finally busts all the criminals on our street and in my head, it always looks like something from a Matt Damon or Angelina Jolie movie.
“There’s stuff? I always thought it just involved old grocery store receipts and bar napkins with numbers written on the back of them, the newspaper, and a couple of phone calls made to certain people,” I say, stressing the ‘certain people’ part.
“Believe me, there’s stuff. Incriminating stuff.”
“Well, I don’t want to get Big Mama arrested. Maybe once they clear you to go inside, you can get rid of all the evidence and then call the cops.”
“Nobody’s calling the cops, including you.”
“But this dude could be dangerous, MJ. Houses are like Lay’s potato chips to an arsonist—they can’t just stop at one. Especially after he’s seen how easily these old houses light up.”
“I told you—this wasn’t arson.”
“And not only was he staring at the house,” I say, ignoring her protest, “I’m pretty sure he was smiling.”
MJ gives me a look that’s scarier than the first, if it’s even possible.
“Not like that, MJ. He was the opposite of that. You’re definitely not smiling.”
“ ’Cause there ain’t nothing funny about this.”
“Exactly my point. Why would that dude be smiling about something as serious as a fire? We aren’t smiling. Nobody on this street is smiling,” I say, looking around the crowd, mostly as an excuse not to look at MJ, who I’m sure is thinking of ways to kill me, or at least to shut me up.
“Would you just listen to me when I tell you to leave it alone? And this is the last time I’m telling you to leave it alone.”
“But MJ ...”
“There ain’t no arsonist unless you consider me an arsonist.”
“What?”
“It was me. I started the fire.”
DAFINA KTEEN BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2012 by Kimberly Reid
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ISBN: 978-0-7582-8011-4
Creeping with the Enemy Page 22